RISING POWER ACTIVISM VS GREAT POWER STATUSQUOISM: QUEST FOR A PLACE IN AFRICAN POWER POLITICS

This paper seeks to elucidate the policies the United States (US), Russia, China and Türkiye applied to have a place in African power politics. The US, as a great power, and through its strategic engagement with international organisations, addresses issues such as terrorism, the promotion of democracy, and the advocacy of human rights to exert influence over African countries. In contrast, Russia (once a great power; currently a rising power) employs a soft diplomacy strategy, capitalising on its historical context and regional relationships. While China’s contemporary commercial investments and economic support for African nations dominate the continent, a delicate balancing act between soft and hard power is the foundation of Türkiye's foreign policy towards Africa. In this sense, the comparative methodology is employed to analyse these policies through a Neo-realist approach, focusing on examining specific agreements and contracts between the nations in Africa and the rising and great powers. The research findings indicate that there are evident signs of the exploitation of African countries by great powers facilitated through international organisations, investments, and soft diplomacy in order to keep the status quo intact. At the same time, the rising powers mostly built “heart-to-heart” connections with the African nations by adopting activist foreign policy understanding.